Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005
The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 made sweeping changes to American bankruptcy laws, affecting both consumer and business bankruptcies. Many of the Act's provisions were explicitly designed by it's Congressional sponsors to make it "more difficult for people to file for bankruptcy".[2] The BAPCPA was intended to make it more difficult for debtors to file a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy—under which most debts are forgiven (or discharged)--and instead required them to file a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy—under which the debts they incurred are discharged only after the debtor has repaid some portion of these debts.